Thank you for engaging with our work in 2025! From all of us at FSI, we wish you a happy holiday season and a peaceful new year.

Explore FSI's contributions to international research, teaching, and policy this year in our 2025 Annual Report, which includes a final letter from @mcfaulmike.bsky.social as the institute's director.

What does the war in Ukraine look like from Europe, and what will it take to sustain support? Former Lithuanian FM Gabrielius Landsbergis, now a visiting fellow at Stanford, joined me on @fsi.stanford.edu World Class Podcast for a conversation on both. Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/37mo...

As the possibility of cuts to Medicaid increases, Lee Sanders of @healthpolicy.stanford.edu explains why it's essential to understand how changes to pediatric hospitals could affect families’ access to care, as well as the financial stability of health systems. ow.ly/eTya50XK7lA

Please join us in congratulating @jimgoldgeier.bsky.social for being elected President of the International Studies Association (ISA) for the 2027–2028 term! cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/news/jim-gol...

Gabrielius Landsbergis, former foreign minister of Lithuania @stanfordcisac.bsky.social, shares what the Ukraine war has felt like as a European, and what must be done to support Ukraine for the long-term. Listen to the #WorldClassPodcast with @mcfaulmike.bsky.social: ow.ly/VEsG50XJw7r

Andrew Grotto of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social makes the case against GovClouds as a fix for cyberthreats and outlines what needs to be done to improve America's digital and cyber-based national security. ow.ly/fx8b50XIQhX

🗣️ Calling all democracy activists! There is still time to apply for the 2026 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program at Stanford to participate in a life-changing experience! Applications close January 15 at 11:59 pm PST. Learn more and get started ➡️ https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/summerfellows/apply

The New START Treaty could be leveraged to advance denuclearization goals in areas not currently covered by the original agreement, writes Steven Pifer of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social in @thebulletin.org: ow.ly/jYce50XIyWc

At an @aparc.stanford.edu China Program seminar, former U.S. diplomat David Meale explains why he is cautiously optimistic about the future of U.S.-China relations and the prospect for a “managed rivalry” relationship that is neither warm nor easy, but still constructive. ow.ly/yryk50XHgef

Unless the U.S. Air Force finds a way to better balance readiness and airworthiness, @stanfordcisac.bsky.social visiting scholar Lt. Col. Austin Gruber worries that the force may be left with few engineering risks and liabilities, but unable to command the skies. ow.ly/ZX9F50XGHsP

🟣 Idea #64 — New by Tabatha Abu El-Haj of Drexel University Kline School of Law & Didi Kuo @fsi.stanford.edu — "Building Associational Parties" Part of @nyulaw.bsky.social Democracy Project's "100 Ideas in 100 Days" series Read the full piece here: democracyproject.org/posts/buildi...

In comments made to @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social, @dcsneider.bsky.social explains how Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan have ended up in a staring match of wills over Taiwan: ow.ly/cuSC50XG7vg

Full house tonight for my Autocrats vs. Democrats book talk at Stanford! Grateful to everyone who came out, asked great questions, and stayed around to introduce themselves afterwards

What is "mirror life" and how could it advance — or threaten — life and biology on Earth? Experts from @healthpolicy.stanford.edu and @law.stanford.edu discuss the high-stakes scientific, ethical, and regulatory challenges behind this emerging science: ow.ly/x4Hv50XFw8y

Drawing on his own experiences negotiating with the Kremlin, @mcfaulmike.bsky.social weighs in on the current back-and-forth between Russia, the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe, and why a peace deal to end the war remains elusive: ow.ly/oMma50XBHhj

Although South Korea withstood the political storms following President Yoon's attempt at martial law, the events of the past year have “illustrated a fragile democracy divided against itself." What can be done? Read @thediplomat.com piece by APARC's Gi-Wook Shin and Kerstin Norris

📰 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 📰 Know outstanding journalists or news outlets providing excellent coverage of the Asia-Pacific region? Nominate them for the 2026 Shorenstein Journalism Award @aparc.stanford.edu! Submission deadline is February 15, 2026. Details below: ow.ly/881750XBqQ3

"If Europe wants a better relationship with Mr. Trump, it should start acting like a winner," writes visiting fellow and former foreign minister of Lithuania @glandsbergis.bsky.social in @nytimesoped.bsky.social.

Speaking to ABC News, Steven Pifer of @theeuropecenter.bsky.social & @stanfordcisac.bsky.social weigh in on where Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. stand in the latest back-and-forth on negotiations for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. ow.ly/6v9n50XzwWe

Are we entering a new Cold War? In this TedX talk, @mcfaulmike.bsky.social draws on firsthand experience as he unpacks the similarities —and crucial differences — of today’s conflicts between autocracies and democracies and those of the 20th-century: ow.ly/8nRZ50XxgIW

Speaking to @voxdotcom.bsky.social, Herb Lin of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social joins other nuclear security experts in explaining what AI use in nuclear enterprise protocols could look like, and whether or not such integrations are beneficial or inherently dangerous. ow.ly/3IKw50Xw7cy

What does it mean for America to beat China in AI, and what will it take to do it? FSI's Colin Kahl joins @cchivvis.bsky.social on @carnegieendowment.org's Pivotal States podcast to discuss the technology race playing out between the two powers, and what it means for the world: ow.ly/wzAG50Xw6E9

WATCH | @frankfukuyama.bsky.social joins @monacharen.bsky.social on @thebulwark.com to explain why he believes that the internet — more than economics, prejudice, or even human nature — is driving the current anger and division in political discourse. ow.ly/UuFP50XtfMO

Analysis from @marshallburke.bsky.social and colleagues indicates that while mitigating further global warming can reduce heat mortality, mass mortality events remain plausible at near-future temperatures despite current adaptations to heat. 📄 READ HERE: ow.ly/CPRy50XtOnv

We are excited to announce the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program, housed at @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social at @fsi.stanford.edu, which will advance student, faculty, and public knowledge of modern Israel through cross-disciplinary education and research. Read the full announcement:

Get to know Colin Kahl, FSI's incoming director, as he reflects on his career at the intersection of scholarship and policy—and shares his vision for how the institute can help navigate today’s global challenges. ow.ly/tMlw50Xsxly

Political scientist and former U.S. defense official Colin Kahl has been named the next director of FSI, Stanford’s hub for nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research and teaching in global affairs. 🧵 Here’s how Prof. Kahl's experience will shape FSI’s next chapter:

Following President Trump's visit to Asia, @dcsneider.bsky.social examines how countries like South Korea and Japan are simultaneously working to deepen their defense ties with the United States while also increasing their autonomy and national preparedness. ow.ly/PTgV50XqfHT

Empathy is a simple but profound mechanism for building social cohesion, says @claireadida.bsky.social of @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social. Using quantitative and field methods, Adida studies what creates or dissolves cohesion, and how that can be used to inform better policymaking.

The course “Silicon Valley & The U.S. Government” allows students and the public to hear directly from founders and innovators about how Silicon Valley and the U.S. government are deeply intertwined: ow.ly/fUn650XmMO3

Meet the MIP Class of 2027: Paulina Montgomery has a background in history, but her focus is on the future. As a student in the Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy, she's finding ways to improve the policies and protocols governing defense technology, particularly in the domain of space.

As drones become a ubiquitous part of war, Rose Gottemoeller of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social says steps need to be taken now to prevent them from becoming a new means to deliver nuclear weapons: ow.ly/K7Yx50Xli7a

To create abundance for citizens, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social says democracies need systems that: ▪️ Operate at a large scale ▪️ Are resistant to capture by interest groups ▪️ Facilitate decision-making in efficient time frames ▪️ Have public, deliberative input Read more: ow.ly/Q52n50Xk6nq

Next Tuesday is Stanford's fifth annual Democracy Day! On 11/4, there will be programming across campus to encourage civic engagement, including an event with @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social scholars at 3:00pm in Encina Hall. Registration is required. ow.ly/Cov950Xjra4

“Sometimes, you can move the needle in the right direction." @amyzegart.bsky.social reflects on her career studying the implications of technology on national security and pushing for better education and accountability in the intelligence and policy communities. ow.ly/PCfy50Xk6kV

OUT TODAY! My new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats, looks at the challenges posed by autocratic Russia and China and explains how/why the U.S. must lead the democratic world in response. In stores and online: www.harpercollins.com/products/autocrats-vs-democrats-michael-mcfaul?variant=43731712606242

Japan has appointed its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. @aparc.stanford.edu Director Kiyoteru Tsutsui discusses Takaichi’s background and rise to power, her cabinet choices, and what they signal for Japan's future. Watch it here ↘️ ow.ly/A3U650XiGV7

🗓️ Mark your calendars! The 2025 Drell Lecture will be October 29th with speaker Jill Hruby. RSVP for event at the link below ⤵️ cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/drell...

WATCH: Climate change, AI competition, Middle East security, democratic backsliding, and the war in Ukraine are real challenges, but FSI scholars have ideas on how to address them. w/ Profs. @mcfaulmike.bsky.social, @marshallburke.bsky.social, Larry Diamond, Colin Kahl, Steve Pifer & Or Rabinowitz.

Research by Hongbin Li into China's unprecedented expansion of higher education shows how education policy in one country can directly reshape the academic and economic landscape of another. 📄 READ MORE: ow.ly/Z1y650XgIIA

The new Democracy Action Lab (DAL) @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social will apply cutting-edge research towards developing practical applications for confronting global democratic backsliding, revitalizing civic life and engagement, and defending democracy worldwide. ow.ly/bvbO50XfTVC

🗓️ EVENT ALERT | Oct. 22, 4:00pm PT Scholars from @stanfordcddrl.bsky.social and the Democracy Action Lab (DAL) explore why some democracies erode while others endure. ☑️ In-person seating available for Stanford affiliates; open to the public via Zoom. ow.ly/N0us50XbQcy

We were glad to engage with so many alumni at Reunion Homecoming 2025! From @mcfaulmike.bsky.social's book talk, to the alumni reception in the Encina Courtyard, and our panel on global threats, thanks to everyone who made it a great weekend.

A big thanks to all the alumni who came out to hear FSI Director @mcfaulmike.bsky.social discuss his new book AUTOCRATS VS. DEMOCRATS at @Stanford's 2025 Reunion Homecoming! To get your own copy, visit: ow.ly/f5fu50XcMIm

On @cnn.com, Rose Gottemoeller of @stanfordcisac.bsky.social explains where the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine stand on potential negotiations as President Trump prepares to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. ow.ly/piNQ50XcAYt

Are you a Stanford alum coming to Reunion Homecoming this weekend? Check out FSI's events! ▪️ OCT 17 — Book talk w/ @mcfaulmike.bsky.social ▪️ OCT 17 — Encina reception ▪️ OCT 18 — Global Threats panel w/ Profs. McFaul, @larrydiamond.bsky.social, @marshallburke.bsky.social, Kahl, Pifer, & Rabinowitz.

'Workslop' is on the rise, and it's starting to cause serious issues with productivity. Researchers from @techimpactpolicy.bsky.social and Betterup Labs look at why this is happening and what can be done to keep poorly applied AI from running amok in the workplace. ow.ly/PFp550XbQQl

Welcome to the Class of 2027 of the Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy (MIP) program. The cohort is 22 students strong and joins us from 13 countries and regions from around the world. ow.ly/xbgC50XaTUc

"What is going on in South Korea is often a precursor of what happens elsewhere in the world," says Sojung Lim, an attendee at the 4th International Conference on the Sociology of Korea, hosted this year by @aparc.stanford.edu at @Stanford. ow.ly/BH4a50X4KLm